Frequently Asked Questions

How are admission decisions communicated?

Decisions on admission are communicated to the student only. You are then expected to let your potential supervisor know.

How is the admission review process conducted?

RSI office reviews all applications. Only complete applications who meet the admission requirement are reviewed by the committee.

Two committee members are randomly assigned to each application, accounting for conflict of interest.

A structured form is used for the evaluation of each application. For the PhD applicant, the academic record is out of 65 with statement of interest/plan of study out of 25 and the two reference letters out of 10. For MSc, the academic record is out of 75 and the letter of intent out of 15 and two reference letters out of 10. A total score is calculated.

A present RSI student reviews all application to provide any student perspective.

The committee meet to review the applications.

A committee member whose student is being reviewed does not participate in the discussion.

Following the discussion, the chair seeks a consensus rating. Other members of the committee comment if they feel the score is not consistent with the review of the application.

Unanimous decision is made by the committee to either:a. Accept the student conditional confirmed supervisor and fundingb. Reject student

What are the components of the application process?

The components of the application process are:

Two official transcripts from each university previously attended.

A letter of intent describing your proposed research program. Outline the research question(s), rationale and general methodology for the work to be undertaken. It is advisable that you develop this in conjunction with potential supervisor.

Two letters of recommendation. It is recommended that these be from individuals who can assess your academic potential.

A Recent Curriculum Vitae (CV). Ensure that you highlight your publications and any previous awards or scholarships.

A Letter from potential supervisor indicating financial and supervisory support.

What happens if I am accepted, conditional on funding?

Your supervisor and you are responsible for notifying RSI office that funding has been secured so that the condition can be lifted. If you have only partial funding from scholarship or supervisor stipend, you and your supervisor can speak to the Graduate Coordinator and Graduate Administrator to see if they can recommend other sources of funding.

RSI will consider supplementing you to the required level of funding, if you already hold a partial scholarship or supervisor has provided a significant stipend. RSI will not cover the whole financial package of a first year student. If the full funding cannot be secured, you should consider deferring admission to a later date to provide additional time to apply for funding.

What if I am not accepted?

If you are not accepted into RSI, speak to the Graduate Coordinator to understand the reasons. The Graduate Coordinator will outline the rationale for the committee’s decision and will make recommendations for a future application.

What if I have sufficient funds for the first year but not a future year?

Although RSI will not cover the whole financial package of a first year student, it will cover it in future years if you provide evidence of application for external funding and you are in good academic standing.

What is the required financial support for students?

The University of Toronto has committed to provide a minimum of $15,000 plus tuition fees for eligible doctoral-stream students. For Canadian students. The minimum funding requirement for RSI students is $24,500 for MSc and PhD is $25,500 per year. The RSI policy is that graduate students should have financial support throughout the fundable period of the program. Support is derived from External Scholarships (e.g. OGS, NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR), supervisor stipends, Departmental/Internal award. If you receive a competitive external award, you may receive a top-up to the total stipend.

What should I do when I am approaching a faculty member as a potential supervisor?

Things to consider in your request and interactions with potential supervisor:

Highlight your strength and accomplishments in a cover email or letter.

Send the faculty member a copy of your curriculum vitae and marks. This component is important so that the potential supervisor can be confident that you meet the minimum criteria for admission.

Ascertain that you and the faculty member match in terms of research interests. A telephone conversation or in person meeting may help establish this.

Make sure the faculty’s style matches your own. Although a meeting or phone call may be helpful, you may also consider asking the faculty to put you in touch with other trainees that have worked closely with him/her.

Consider sharing some of your scientific writing with the faculty.

Work with the faculty to apply for funding

When I graduate from RSI, can I work clinically in rehabilitation?

NO, as a graduate from RSI, you cannot practice clinically in the field of rehabilitation. If your interest is in working clinically, consider applying to an entry to practice Master’s degree in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Speech Language Pathology.